1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to archery bow sights and more particularly, to pendulum and fixed bow sights which utilize a sight ring strung with monofilament line to define perpendicular crosshairs and having an optional black light for illuminating the monofilament crosshairs in conditions of low light, such as early morning and late evening. The fixed bow sights mount directly to the frame of the bow in fixed relationship with respect to the bow, while the pendulum bow sight is characterized by a pendulum bracket pivotally and adjustably attached to a mount plate connected to the bow. The pendulum bracket mounts the sight ring. Accordingly, when the pendulum bow sight is used, the hunter's line of sight extends through the sight ring when aiming the bow at any bow elevation. The pendulum bow sight further includes an adjustable stabilizing pin for fixing the pendulum bracket, and thus the sight ring, with respect to the bow and the frame and an adjustable pendulum bracket support extends from the mount plate for supporting the pendulum bracket at a selected sight ring attitude in limited pivoting configuration. The black light may be mounted in any desired position on the frame of the bow, one or more brackets or guards extending from the bar frame, the pendulum bracket, the sight ring or in any other desired location which allows the black light to be focused on the crosshairs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different variations of bow sights are known in the art. Typical of these is the bow sight detailed by R. L. Strange in U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,403, dated Nov. 29, 1983. The bow sight includes a bow bracket which is adjustably attached to the bow and a planar sight bracket adjustably attached to the bow bracket in a vertical plane. A front sight is mounted at one end of the sight bracket and extends horizontally from the sight bracket. A distance member is disposed generally parallel to and adjacent to the sight bracket and is pivotally mounted thereto about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the plane of the sight bracket. A rear sight is mounted to the distance member and extends horizontally away from the distant member and range indicia are located on the sight bracket. A reference mark is located on the distance member. U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,565, dated Jun. 25, 1991, to Stenerson et al, details a "Range Finding Bow Sight". The sight has two sets of crosshairs, one in the front and one in the rear, which crosshairs create positive vertical and horizontal alignment. The distance between the front and rear crosshairs is adjustable. U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,423, dated Oct. 19, 1993, details a "Crosshair Pendulum Bow Sight", which includes a sight housing having spaced, parallel outer and vertical sides, one of which includes apparatus for mounting the sight housing when the handle is positioned such that the vertical sides are substantially coplanar with the longitudinal axis of the handle. A sighting element is pivotally mounted by bearings provided in sidewalls of the housing, such that the sighting element is pivotable relative to the handle. A sighting opening is formed in the sighting element, which includes traversing vertical and horizontal crosshairs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,227, dated Aug. 16, 1994, details an "Illuminator For Archery Aiming Scope". The illuminating device uses a focus-concentrated light beam to illuminate both the aiming mark and the level of the scope. The preferred light source is a high brightness focus, light-emitting diode which is mounted to project a narrow beam of light onto the aiming mark from a position above and outside the field of view of the scope. The illumination of the level is achieved by multiple reflections of the light beam between the lens and the level, such that the bubble of the level brightens when the bow is in the desired vertical orientation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,791, dated Aug. 30, 1994, to Schaeffer, details a "Bow Sight Apparatus". The apparatus includes an illuminated sighting structure having a sighting tube arranged for mounting relative to an archery bow. The sighting tube includes a first end spaced from the second end, the second end having a chemiluminescent ring, with a chemiluminescent sphere mounted within a rod directed into the sighting tube adjacent to the first end. U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,747, dated Jan. 10, 1995, to Morris, et al, details an "Archery Bow Sight" having a relatively large sight window to facilitate better target alignment.
Other types of bow sights have been developed in attempts to solve sighting problems. The majority of the light-weight bow sights use a string-mounted peep sight for the rear sight. These sights are accurate, but have the serious disadvantage of loss of light that occurs when sighting through a small aperture. A most common front sight is the pin-type, which requires that the archer judge the range of the target and, if shooting from a position elevated above ground level, such as a tree stand, compensate for change in arrow trajectory due to shooting downwardly at various angles. Shooting an arrow accurately from a traditional recurve or compound bow at a target such as a deer or target requires a relatively precision sighting device. The archer must judge range and shooting angle when shooting from an elevated position and adjust for the trajectory of the arrow under these conditions. Compounding the sighting problem for the game hunting archer is the frequent need to shoot very quickly in low light conditions and possibly in inclimate weather. The bow hunter must sometimes also traverse rugged landscape, often in the dark, or climb into stands or trees, necessitating that a sighting device be simple, light and able to endure the rigors of daily rough use. Sometimes the bow hunter does not have time for precision sight alignment and must quickly and instinctively release an arrow while subconsciously using some portion of the bow arrow or sight as a point of reference.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide new and improved bow sights which are characterized by sturdy, rugged, relatively large sight rings, either fixed, or pivotally mounted to the bow in pendulum fashion, and fitted with bright crosshairs which may be illuminated by an optional black light for viewing the crosshairs and aiming the bow in conditions of low light.
Another object of this invention is to provide bow sights which may either be fixed or pivotally attached to a compound or recurve bow and include large sight windows optionally fitted with target reference marks and preferably fluorescent monofilament crosshairs that may be optionally illuminated by a black light under conditions of low light, such as the early morning and late evening, to extend hunting time.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a pendulum bow sight which includes a round sight ring having fluorescent crosshairs and mounted on a sight pendulum pivotally attached to a pendulum bracket connected to the bow, such that the line of sight of the hunter may be directed through the opening in the sight ring as the sight ring remains substantially vertically oriented, responsive to pivoting of the sight pendulum with respect to the connecting mount plate.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a pendulum bow sight for attachment to a compound or recurve bow, which pendulum bow sight is characterized by a round sight ring fitted with target reference marks and fluorescent monofilament crosshairs of selected color and optionally, with a black light for illuminating the colored crosshairs in low light conditions, such as early morning and late evening. The sight ring is fixed to a sight pendulum pivotally and adjustably attached to a mount plate connected to the bow frame and fitted with a stabilizing pin and a pendulum bracket support for limiting the travel of the sight pendulum and the sight ring with respect to the mount plate.